Having a GPS device can keep you on the right path, but you'll need a solid satellite connection. "The map and compass are still as reliable as anything," Motz said.

Call the park you plan to visit for your hike. Take a look at the weather report. Such precautions will reduce the risks and surprises when you're in the middle of your hike.

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With temperatures expected to hit 64 by Sunday, the weather will begin to coax more people out onto hiking trails.

And with that influx comes an increase in calls about those who are lost.

Sometimes calls come from lost hikers who can't even name the park they're in, said Ama Koenigshof, who's in charge of trail building for the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference.

It's often the thing with hiking in the wilderness that the unexpected happens.

Consider:

A spring break trip for about 30 La Salle University students, mostly first-timers, took an abrupt turn for the worse when the group got lost hiking on a frigid Kentucky mountain last month.

A couple of California teens reportedly went missing when their day hike into the Cleveland National Forest turned into several days perilously lost in the woods. The last of the two, barely clinging to life according to rescuers, was found this week.

Last weekend Daniel Guttierez of Polk Township went missing on a local hike. The 54-year-old had to call 911 Saturday evening after getting lost in Worthington State Forest. He spent 12 hours in the forest before being rescued by state park police and transported to Pocono Medical Center. Attempts to contact Guttierez this week were unsuccessful.

A common thread in these incidents is that hikers lose daylight, followed by their orientation.

If you get lost, he said, "you can compound the problem by trying to find your way out, and if you can't see the blazes, you can get lost."

Blazes, or trail markers, are a hiker's equivalent of following bread crumbs. They can be as precise as informing you of when a trail is about to turn or end and come in the form of bright painted markings or actual signs.

But without daylight, they can be a hassle to keep track of, according to hiking experts.

The best advice for anyone who gets lost: Stay put.

"It's a lot harder for search and rescue crews to find a moving target," said John Motz, a Monroe County resource conservationist at the Monroe County Conservation District and a leader in the Pocono Outdoor Club.

Koenigshof's organization covers 1,800 miles of trails in New York and New Jersey.

She says you lower your risk of getting lost if you avoid hiking at night, but more important than daylight is probably water.

"At least a liter or two on hot days," she said. And don't forget those dips in temperature when you're up in the mountains. "Always take an extra jacket or something to make sure that if it cools off, you'll be OK."

She says one thing she's heard a lot of is people ditching hiking boots for more summer-friendly footwear.

"Hiking in flip-flops tends to create a problem. A lot of people get hurt if they're wearing flip-flops," Koenigshof said.